Separable locking-rack for driving mechanism.



B. P. BREWSTER.

SEPABABLE LOOKING RAGK FOR DRIVING MECHANISM. APPLIOATIOK I'IIQBI) HA3.1, 1909.

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THE NORRIS Psruas co., wnsmnarou, o c

Patented Oct.25, 1910.

' BERTRAM' r. BREWSTER, or BURRTON, KANSAS, assienon or I when the slide6 ,moves.

UNITED OFFICE.

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. TW'QFTHIRDS T0 WALTER snrnnnnnn nooxme-nnox FOR DRIVING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0013.25, 1910.

Original application filed June 9, 1908, Serial No. 437,487. Divided andthis application filed March 1, 1909.

Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERTRAM F.13REWSTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Burrton, in the county of Harvey and State of Kansas, haveinvented a Separable Locking-Rack for Driving Mechanism, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to racks'for driving gear and more particularly toa separable locking rack, and the object is to provide a locking rackfor general application.

One of the objects of this improved rack is to provide a rack which willdrive a pinion or cog wheel a step or a part of a step or a plurality ofsteps or to drive a shaft a part of a. revolution, or a wholerevolution, or a predetermined number of revolutions in one operationand then to lock the shaft against further revolutions at apredetermined time.

Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the followingdescription and the invention will be more particularly pointed out inthe claim.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of thisapplication.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a series of racks and pinions operatedthereby showing one application of the improved rack. Fig. 2 isaplanview of a rack without the pinion. Fig. 3 is a verticallongitudinal section of the rack and the lock. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of a ratchet used with the devices illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig.5 is an enlarged plan view of one of the pinions and one of the ratchetwheels shown in Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same partsthroughout the several views. I

In operation, the rack 1 and its locking section 2 work as one rack. Therack 1 is loosely mounted on a rod 3 which is screwed into thelockingsection 2. The rod 3 has a knob 4 rigid on the end thereof and aspiral spring 5 is loosely mounted on the rod 3. The rack 1 is rigidwith a slide 6 and moves As soon as pressure is released from the slide6 the spring 5 will tend to bring the rack 1 back to the looking section2. The spring 5 will thus aid in throwing the rack 1 back in mesh withthe pinion 7. The advantage of such construction is that the pinion canbe turned a predetermined number of timesuand then locked in positionand the rack 1 can move still farther after it has performed itsfunction of turning the pinion 7 and the shaft 8. The pinion 7 ismounted loosely on the shaft 8 and a disk 9 is rigid with the pinion 7which is also loosely mounted on the shaft 8. A ratchet wheel 10 isrigid with the shaft 8 and means are provided for locking the pinion 7and disk 9 to the ratchet wheel 10 during a driving operation. A dog 11is pivotally mounted on the disk 9 and adapted to engage the ratchetwheel 10. A spring 12 is attached to the disk 9 and bears on the dog 11to hold the same in engagement with the ratchet wheel 10. \Vhen the rack1 and the lock 2 are moving back to-starting point, the teeth of theratchet wheel 10 pass under the dog 11 without being aifected thereby,or the dog 11 rides over the teeth without engaging the same. The teethon the wheel 7 may be limited to turn the wheel a certain number oftimes when driven by the rack 1 or the rack 1 may be provided with alimited number of teeth to drive the pinion a certain number of times,or to turn the pinion a part of a revolution or one whole revolution,and then lock the pinion with the locking section 2.

One illustration of the advantage of this construction is shown inFig. 1. A series of pinions 7 are arranged on a shaft 8 and eachprovided with a disk 9, ratchet wheel 10, dog 11, spring 12, rack 1, andlock 2. The other mechanism shown in Fig. 1 shows how the shaft 8 may beoperated one step or a part of astep or revolution or a plurality ofsteps at one stroke of a driving mechanism in accordance with thepresence or absence of an object to be operated upon.

,The size of the ob ects will also affect the steps or revolutions to bemade by the shaft 8. The slides 6 are of different lengths arranged inseries. These slides 6 are actuated by a frame 13 which is provided witha series of plungers 14. These plungers are intended to engage someobject and drive the same against the slides 6. If there is no objectlying in the path of the plunger or any plunger 14, the plunger willsimply move in the slot 15 in the slide 6 and not afiect the slide 6.The plungers 14 are graduated so that-each one will operate insuccession on objects lying in the path of the plungers. If an object islying in the path of each plunger,-each plunger in succession will drivethe object against the slide 6 and thus operate a pinion 7 and turn theshaft 8 at one stroke of the frame 13. The frame 13 will thus actuatethe shaft 8 a part of a step, or a whole step, or a number of steps oneach stroke of the frame. The frame 13 is provided with counter plungers16 for bringing the racks 1 back to their normal positions. Thecounter-plungers 16 engage the buttons or knobs 4: to replace the racks.

17 indicates guides for the reciprocal movement of the frame 13. Theframe 13 may be driven by any suitable power.

18 indicates cranks which may be driven. The cranks 18 are pivotallyconnected with links 19 which are pivotally connected with the frame 13.

After each rack performs its function, it willmove on and the lock 2will lock the pinion 7 against forward movement. When the rack 1 movesback to normal position it joins its locking section 2 and the two moveto starting point. It is shown how one rack and one pinion may be usedor a series of racks and pinions may be used.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a mechanism fordriving a shaft one step or a plurality of steps according to the workto be done. This shaft with its pinions may be used in different arts. Aregistering machine may be driven by this shaft or an adding machine maybe operated by said shaft.

This application is a division of the application filed June 9th, 1908,and which has been issued as Patent No. 918,273, April 13th, 1909.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In a driving mechanism provided with a pinion, a separable lockingrack for driving said pinion comprising a locking section and a drivingsection cooperating therewith and separable therefrom.

2. In a driving mechanism provided with a pinion, a separable lockingrack for driving said pinion comprising a locking section and a drivingsection held yieldingly in contact with said locking section butseparable therefrom.

3. In a driving mechanism provided with a pinion, a separable lockingrack for driving said pinion comprising a locking section and a drivingsection and means for holding said sections in alinement with eachother.

4. In a driving mechanism provided with a pinion, a separable lockingrack for driving said pinion comprising a locking section and a drivingsection, means for holding said driving section yieldingly in contactwith said locking section.

5. In a driving mechanism provided with a pinion, a separable lockingrack for driving said pinion comprising a locking section and a drivingsection, and a rod running loosely through said driving section andrigid with said locking section for holding said sections in alinement.

6. In a driving mechanism provided with a pinion, a separable lockingrack for driving said pinion comprising a locking section and a drivingsection separable therefrom, a rod running loosely through said drivingsection and rigid with said locking section, a knob on the other end ofsaid rod, and a spring on said rod between said knob and said drivingsection.

7. The combination of a shaft, a pinion mounted loosely thereon, meansfor locking said pinion to said shaft for driving purposes, and aseparable locking rack for driving said pinion consisting of a lockingsection and a driving section separable therefrom.

8. The combination of a shaft, a series of racks and pinions for drivingsaid shaft, each rack being composed of a locking section and a drivingsection, and a rack carrying a series of plungers for driving said rackswhereby said shaft may be driven one step or a plurality of steps.

9. In a driving mechanism provided with a pinion; a separable lockingrack for driving said pinion comprising a locking section and a drivingsection cooperating therewith and separable therefrom, the lockingportion of said rack having one or more teeth to engage said pinion anda stop coming against said pinion.

In testimony whereof, I set my hand in the presence of two witnesses,this 19th day of February, 1909.

BERTRAM F. BREWVSTER.

lVitnesses:

A. L. JACKSON, J. W. S'rrr'r.

